I am a retired pastor of
the Church of God (Tennessee). My name is Isaac Livingston. I am from Neyyoor India. |
Email: Pastor True Gospel
"John 6:32 Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."
Today's lesson begins from John 6:31. "31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." Here, we see two kinds of bread. God rained manna from the sky, which was referred as heaven. But Jesus Came down from heaven where God dwells. Jesus Christ calls himself as the true bread. Manna was given only to Israel as food for the body, but the true bread gives life to the souls, even eternal life, for the whole world. Let us see a few more verses about the bread of heaven.
"John 6:48 I am that bread of life. 49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you." This speech threw them off. The fathers of the Jews eat manna and were dead, and Jesus promises that they who eat his flesh will not die and live forever. We cannot comprehend this, without spiritual insight. Judaism, or even Christianity, as religion, cannot give the spiritual insight. If we are spiritual, that is, if we are born again of the Spirit, the holy spirit will teach us scriptures, then we will understand the mysteries. If not, scripture may also be a stumbling stone, that God laid purposely. In our previous lesson, we saw that the purpose of the miracle was for the people to know that Jesus came from heaven, and to believe what he says. Only a few godly people saw it, others neither saw it, nor perceived. Even now, he tells them and us, to eat his flesh and to drink his blood. It is a figure of speech. Unless the holy spirit reveals the meaning and the reality behind it, nobody will understand what it is. Then, the Jews were confused, and now, Christians are confused.
What is the reality? "Matthew 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." Here, we almost see the same thing. His body is a broken piece of bread, and his blood is the wine in a cup. Is this the reality? He does not mean that we must eat a piece of bread and drink a sip of wine, in order to live forever and not die. By the way, it is everlasting life, but not life on earth. Here, his figure of speech was translated into a ritual or a ceremony. What is the reality behind the ceremony? "John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever." If we eat his flesh and drink his blood, we will dwell in him and he in us, we will be raised on the last day and we will have eternal life. Okay! But how do we eat his flesh and drink his blood? He was preaching this message as a man, and then he was 'no more' for the last 2000 plus years. Where is the man Jesus for us to eat his flesh, and to drink his blood? We know that God did not mean the actual flesh and blood, but we must do what he says. Is it to participate in the communion ceremony and say that we have done it? Is it the reality? Or, if there is no reality, then is it fake?
Manna was the food given to the Jews at the time of Moses, they ate and were satisfied. But they disobeyed God and God killed most of them in the wilderness and they were dead. Jews remembered the manna, but they forgot that they were killed. Jesus tells them that if they eat the bread that Jesus will give, they will not be killed and so they will not die. They did not understand what he says. They still want the bread. Jesus told them that he himself is the bread. There was a disconnect. They could not understand it? Jews and Christians are religious people. We are after things like rituals, ceremonies, etc, but not after real life. Jesus Christ was preaching his messages to the crowds in parables, seemingly with examples and figure of speeches. We think that he does it so to help them understand the message. Let us see what Jesus Christ says. "Matthew 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. Luke 8:10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand." That is, Jesus wants the Jews to hear the mysteries, but he doesn't want them to understand them. Jews thought that they understood it, but they did not. So also, our preachers think that they understand the scriptures, but they do not. The mysteries of the kingdom of God was made understood only by his disciples. Others will see but not perceive; and hear but not understand. It appears strange, but it is true. Do we understand them?
In John 6:36 Jesus says, "But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not." That is, the Jews saw his miracles, but they did not believe what he said. Verses 37-40 say, that God the Father will teach a group of people and sent them to Jesus, and Jesus will accept all of them. So, they will be raised on the day of resurrection, they will inherit eternal life, and it is the will of the Father. "Verse 41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. ... 44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." The Jews murmured against him. They were confused. Jesus said that they did not understand since God did not draw them. If God drew them, they will be raised on the last day to inherit heaven. "Verse 45 says, It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me." Those who are taught of God alone will come to Jesus and others will not come to him. We know that God is not a respecter of persons. Then, how did he choose a few people to teach? 1 Corinthians 2:9 says "..as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." It is about eternal life. It is so great, and no one is capable to comprehend it. "10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit:" So, if we are born again, that is born of the spirit, then God will teach his word to us through our spirit. "13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." So, the spiritual people received the teaching of God, and the natural people rejected the teaching as foolishness. So, God teaches the spiritual people and rejects others. So, it worked both ways.
"John 6:55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." If I eat food and drink water, it will be inside of me, but I will not be inside the food. So, flesh and blood can be in me and I cannot be in them. But, if I take two cups of water, and pour them into one cup, the water will be inside each other. Air can do the same thing. Spirit can also do the same thing. If we are born of the spirit, the spirit in us can abide in the Spirit of God, and the spirits can abide in each other as one. This is the only way, we can be in him and he can be in us. As a man, he preached this, in figure of speech, and he gave the same message as a ceremony in communion, and he fulfils this message in real life as he is in this world, as God in Spirit, who is the Lord Jesus Christ. Have you come to this Spirit God Jesus Christ, to abide in him and he in you? If you are born of the holy spirit, it will become the reality in life. God sent Jesus twice to the world and both are important for our salvation, it is our inheritance in heaven. I have mentioned this points a few times in my previous lessons, yet let me repeat it now also, since it is so important. "Hebrews 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;" In the first time God became flesh, gave himself as a sacrifice, became the author of salvation, to forgive our past sins, if we obey him. "Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; (so first time he became a sacrifice, to forgive our sins, if we obey him) and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." Now, he is in this world as God Jesus Christ in the Spirit, but he will appear to us only if we look for him, to save us from sins. What he will do when he appears to us? "Acts 3:26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." So, Jesus Christ will turn us away from our future sins, then he forgives our past sins, making our salvation complete. It will give us inheritance in new heaven. However, abiding is not required to enter paradise. But, without the Spirit of God and our holy spirit abide together, we cannot enter new heaven, and we cannot be the bride of Christ. "Ephesians 5:25 ... Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." If we eat his flesh and drink his blood, that is, if Jesus Christ abides in us, and we abide in him, we will become holy and without blemish, and we will be even the bride of Christ. I hope that you are for it.
Note: If any point needs explanation, OR, if you
find an error according to scripture,
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God Bless You
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Matthew 28:20, & Mark 16:15. Jesus Christ preached his commandments to obey, as his
Gospel; it is the true Gospel to inherit Eternal life. Genesis 3:1-4 & 2 Corinth 11:2-4. But Preachers, who are Serpents of Satan, preach the life of man Jesus just to believe, but not to live as a chaste virgin, as the gospel; it is another gospel, which cannot and will not give Eternal life.The true gospel will convert evil people to do good and thereby they will inherit the kingdom in heaven.
John 3:19-21 say that people are two kinds, evil and true. Evil doers will not come to the Light, who is God; but people of truth come to God for their deeds to be made manifest. We have good and evil people by our standard of our society or culture. These evil people may be converted to be doers of truth by the power of God, and they may inherit the kingdom of God in heaven.
Email: Pastor True Gospel